Some Like It Cold
MINNEAPOLIS — High school chemistry: My eyes would slip out of focus within 5 minutes of opening the textbook, and just contemplating a lecture pretty much ensured that my familiarity with the Periodic Table of Elements ended with its title.
But an hour in the lab? That brand of watch-and-do learning is the reason why, all these years later, I still understand the difference between an acid and a base.
That realization of how my brain processes information came back to me earlier this spring when yoga instructor Jessica Rosenberg sent an e-vite to her students, offering a strenuous evening of bendiness followed by an introduction to the benefits of raw foods by enthusiast and teacher Jessica Flannigan.
I've wanted to learn more about the raw foods movement — which restricts cooking to temperatures below 116 degrees Fahrenheit, preserving plants' temperature-sensitive nutrients and flavors — and I remembered that I absorb information best via demonstration and participation. Sign me up!
As learning experiences go, Raw Foods 101 ranked right up there. I haven't disconnected my oven — yet — but Flannigan gave me plenty to think about, and her colorful meal was delicious. Here's what I learned.
• Adopting a raw diet is all about balance.
"I'm not a zealot," said Flannigan, who now consumes meat and dairy products after more than a decade of vegetarian and vegan life. "I like balance. Any health craze in excess is an excess." Judging from her radiant skin and gleaming hair, this philosophy clearly works for her.
• Ingredients are paramount. Coconuts, for example. "If there's one thing I wish would grow in Minnesota — along with avocados — it would be coconuts," she said. "The nutritional value is amazing."
Nuts — cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts — are a key raw foods building block. "Any nut will make a nice, creamy sauce," she said.
Seasonings? "Lemon and salt (specifically unrefined sea salt) are my accessories," she said. "I'm not a super food snob, except when it comes to coconut oil. I buy super extra-virgin, raw, cold-pressed coconut oil. It's great on popcorn." As for soy sauce, she prefers Nama Shoyu, a raw, unpasteurized soy sauce she picks up in the Asian foods section at a nearby co-op.
• The right tools make a big difference. "I love my Vita-Mix," Flannigan said. "It's powerful, it's easy to clean, and you can't put carrots into a regular blender." She flipped the switch, and as the workhorse of an appliance made quick work of a few cups of cashews, she laughed.
Her decidedly low-tech Ronco food dehydrator, another essential raw-foods tool, was purchased on a camping trip when she was a kid; she recently supplemented it with extra racks.
• Keep it local. "All-local ingredients can be much more energy-intensive than simply all-organic ingredients," she said. While spotlighting imported acai berries, she also praised less-than-exotic raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.
Foraging is also good. Take dandelion greens, before they are sprayed: "Pick them in the spring, before they flower, and treat them as you would any other salad green," she said.
• Mix it up, especially in cooler climes. "When you live in a warm climate, raw foods make sense," she said. "But in a cold environment, you need cooked food." Her solution: Incorporate something raw at every meal. Another tip for newbies: Ease into it.
• Lighten up. "There's 'cheating' in raw foods,"' she said. "I never want to give the impression that I'm a purist." Flannigan doesn't shy away from using a cooktop or an oven when she has to.
Oh, and store-bought is perfectly acceptable. "If you don't have a hydrator, you can buy," she said.
• Juice fruits in moderation. "Our pancreases are in trouble. Diabetes is through the roof in this country. Even carrots can be glycemic. Think about green vegetable juices instead; they're awesome."
• Nutritional supplements are OK. "I used to be antisupplement, but our soil doesn't have the nutrients of 50 to 100 years ago, so supplements can be beneficial," she said.
• The Earth-friendly raw-foods movement isn't just about food. Flannigan reminded us that the party's biodegradable paper products were all produced from recyclable materials. Unlike many cooking classes, which load students down with countless handouts that only end up as clutter, we left empty-handed; recipes followed later via e-mail.
